Agency and HR Issues

[Archibald Carruthers]

Hi all,

(I put this in the general section as it covers company HR and Agencies, but feel free to move it as you see fit).

Hope that you all had a good Easter and now looking forward to getting back to all this work that everyone has been promising us freelancers.

With Easter being a time of new beginnings, new plants shooting, baby ducks and rabbits and stuff like that – I thought I would give my CV a good review – weed out some of the old crap, reword here and there to match the new generation of HR people dialects. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they do not speak the same language, let alone dialect as us ROV sorts do. Things like which vehicles UHD and SMD actually produce – since most HR do not seem to recognise that they make more than one item of equipment!

Having done it, and quite pleased with the results, I sent it to all the usual agencies, HR dogs and a few other people I know well.

I have had a few responses already, some quite positive but I have also had the good old "due to us being utterly inundated with responses we are only able to match CV’s to current positions".

Now correct me If I am wrong but this should be an ideal position for the companies and agencies to be in – this is the ideal opportunity to be able to pick and choose the absolute best that is available for their valued clients, but no, they seem to use it as an excuse not to even read the supplied CV’s.

For one such response I went onto their site, under the recruitment and careers page it clearly states that "We are always looking for suitably qualified candidates and welcome your applications to the following email address etc"

However if, when you do apply on spec (as the page clearly suggests that you should) but HR replies with – we can only accept applications for specific jobs – and they have no jobs advertised how do you get your CV to a manager who can understand your CV in the first place.

Come on HR, if you want to be the go between for your recruiting teams and the guys who can do the jobs (us) that you need filling then at least update your webpages. If you dont want any more applications then just say "Dont bother applying we have enough" and stop wasting everyones time.

I have noticed recently that some agencies have actually made the effort on ROV World forums to let us know when certain jobs are filled. That is not only commendable (and grounbreaking) but also indicates to me that you are an agency who actually gives a shit about their clients and demonstrates a committment that not many others show.

OK, I understand that HR managers and agencies probably get a load of CV’s (hundreds I would guess) every day, and that those will include people who range form highly suitable to completely inadequate and it must drive you off your trolley, reading the same crap day in and day out – but thats just part of the job.

As a solution to this situation I was going to suggest an ROV World blacklist of agencies and HR departments who just do not deliver us the same level of expertise and committment they expect us to show their clients when we accept jobs through them. However more reflection on the matter made me realise that this would turn into a shit fight and get peoples backs up, so as an alternative I would like to propose that we form a list (or a new Forum subject) where we, the members of the ROV world club can offer the names of agencies and HR departments who we have been impressed by.

I would like to offer, as a first agency – Subservpro in Banbury. I have worked for them many times over the years and they have always treated me with respect and kept me informed of the developing (or deteriorating) job situation. They have always paid on time and resolved any issues promptly, if I have needed letters etc for passports or the like they have dealt with it.

If you need a great agency, then contact Claire, Ash, Rob or Will.

PS Claire can I have a job now please!!

Regards
Pro Fanny Saurus

[Mike]

PFS, you are right on the mark. Mostly one does not even receive any receipt confirmation or reaction whatsoever. Another good one, is: ‘Please fill out OUR forms, as our software will only recognise that format.’ Translation, is that they are too lazy to do any of the scut work associated with their metier!

Let us hope that your prediction of a season soon to kick off is correct!

EMDAR

[Archibald Carruthers]

Yes I hope it is too – flipping burgers is starting to look good – especially if New Labour get in again.

[cleeamollette]

totally agree,

i have been looking for a while to get out of Oceaneering. Mostly now that they sent me a letter inviting me to go work elswhere while they don’t have any work for me.
Here is the thing. A guy i know who doesn’t have any technical background and who went in an ROV training school to get an ROV diploma then work as ROV pilot tech for a year or a year and a half, today find work in agencies on regular basis.
Myself who don’t have ROV diploma but has been working 4 years with OI so did many courses within OI and have 15 years of hydraulics and mechanical background don’t get any contract.
Is it that he recorded thousands hours of piloting and that i recorded 250 hours (i don’t count hanging in the TMS as flying).
Am i doing something wrong?
Are Magnums and Milleniums that differents from other ROVs ?(from guys who work on other than those, they are not).
I have been on construction jobs as well.

I don’t knows is that me or the HR??? or both?

[Adriaan Grobler]

I agree, some of the webpages have jobs dating back to 2007, so when you do a web search, these things come up, a total waste of time.
If you want to come across professional as an agency, then let your web site reflect that. Remember that your web page might be first thing that many people see.

[Jason South]

Gee the times are certainly at the employers benefit!!

I believe though, that times will most certainly change as the past has shown. There is very little work out there. Some of our most experienced ROV guys, who are a little older, will retire on what they have made in the past or will look for a job closer to their bed. There will be other ROV guys who decide they need to look elsewhere and get jobs in other industries. So, in my opinion, as the cycle goes on, when the work does pickup, there will be a shortage of ROV personnel?? Correct?? Dunno.

I filled in my CV with actual hours on the sticks and most certainly did not put down 1000+ hours on bubble watch…….

Oh and sorry to deviate from the original thread, yes I totally agree with the comments on some of the pathetic agencies around with their stupid forms and old out of date sites.

So……………….for just $2 a day, the little ROV pilot waits…………..

[Author]

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